ANAgraph SpectrumJet became the Gerber Orion then the Oce Arizona 30

ANAgraph was one of the many companies bought up by GretagImaging. ANAgraph makes a wide variety of cutters for the signmaking industry. ANAgraph manufactured the SpectrumJet SP-62, a printer which uses solvent based pigmented inks. Printers which use solvent and oil based pigmented inks allow you to print outdoor signs and billboards without lamination.

Two years ago ANAgraph was purchased by Gretag. The result is that the ANAgraph SpectrumJet was no longer the Arizona 30 but was now marketed by Gerber as the Gerber Orion.

Unfortunately the printer was too slow. Banding was perpetual. Gerber was evidently unable to do a good job selling it. So now Gretag is trying again. In the meantime this portion of Gretag was bought by Oce (November 2001). Today (summer 2003) the Arizona 30 is faster than it was two years ago and quality is a tad better also. Price is reasonable and it uses true solvent ink. Of course in these last two years, other solvent ink printers, brand new designs, have popped up to be competition to the venerable Arizona 30. That's why FLAAR now has four different reports on solvent ink printers. You can order the entire series all as one thematic group.

On the subject of entry-level solvent ink printers. Most reports on the after-market adaptation of the Roland SolventJet suggest that its Epson piezo printheads are not really adequate to handle solvent inks. Evidently the solvents in the inks may dissolve the glue within the printheads!

At a recent international conference on inkjet printhead technology, one of the leading speakers also indicated he also had heard of problems. FLAAR has already received complaints from people who know about the Rolend SolventJet. As a result FLAAR has issued new Reports on lite-solvent and eco-solvent printers.

Thus we suggest that you interview an owner who actually uses a SolventJet before you buy one.

It is very notable that not one single web site that touts the SolventJet admits to problems. These sites merely repeat, verbatim, the PR issued by the manufacturer.

It is necessary to point out that these problems are not the fault of Roland nor of Epson. Epson never made its printheads to be used with solvent inks. And Roland never intended its printers to be retrofitted with solvent inks either.

Now you can order these reports from FLAAR
All reports by Dr. Nicholas Hellmuth